Questing
by Reshia
Summary: A sixteen-year old girl is thrust into Luster with no way of returning home. Meeting up with the unicorn Finder, they explore much of the young world together, but can Diana find the answers she so desperately needs?
1. Entrance

**A/N: This is my first, and most likely only, fic for the Unicorn Chronicles. Flames will be added to my fireplace, since though it's supposed to be summer, it hasn't stopped raining once. But I do like nice reviews better . So, anyways, on with the story! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Unicorn Chronicles…sadly, they belong to Coville. He'd better hurry up with the third book, too. But I own Diana. So there.**

**Chapter One: Entrance**

"Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a beautiful princess. Her father loved her dearly, and wished to provide her with the best gifts in his kingdom. Unfortunately, the king was unable to come to a decision as to what to give his beautiful daughter. One day, however, the hunters in the kingdom reported seeing a creature whose beauty surpassed even the princess's. The king, angered by this fact, ordered the slaying of the animal. The hunters readily agreed, and promised the king the horn of the animal. The hunters tricked a young virgin into coming with them to the forest. She waited in a clearing, until, finally, the long-awaited creature came and laid his head in her lap. The hunters surrounded it and—"

"CUT!"

I looked up to see the drama teacher, Mrs. Bartoli, approaching me. "Is there a problem?" I asked politely. Inwardly, I was seething. This was the fifth time she had stopped the reading, and it was only the first scene!

She planted her fists on her hips. "Diana, I gave you the role of Narrator because you have such a beautiful voice," she told me. "But you…this has no emotion. None. Absolutely nothing."

_Possibly because I _hate _this story_, I thought. "I'll try harder," I heard myself say. She looked me up and down, then shook her head.

"All right, let's take it from the top!" I glanced around the gym in amusement, watching the actors take their places. Again. For the fifth time. I had to admit, they were surprisingly talented for a sophomore class. If only Bartoli would quit stopping the rehearsals! But _everything_ had to be perfect for this woman. On the very first try, no less. I began reading, this time actually trying to put "emotion" into it, in an effort to get home faster.

"No, no, no! This is simply not going to work, Diana!" I heard Bartoli yammering on yet again about _emotion_, and _timing_, and my _beautiful_ voice, and why couldn't I read this right? She finally stopped and looked at her watch. "Oh my! Where has the time gone? It's nearly five o'clock! Okay, rehearsal is over for today. Diana," she said, staring at me, "please stay after. I need a word with you."

"Sorry, Mrs. Bartoli," I said. "I really need to get home. My mother's expecting me."

"I really must insist."

I sighed. _Guess a few more minutes won't matter. I already missed the late bus anyways, _I told myself. "Okay, what's up?"

IIIIIIII

_Yeah, sure, a few minutes. _I was walking home, in the rain, at night (it was six o'clock when I was able to get out of the school, who knew what time it was now?), and I was now officially soaked. On my birthday, no less. Sweet sixteen. Oh well, not like anyone would be home anyways. Dad worked, and mom was always out…somewhere. I didn't know, and quite frankly, I didn't much care, either. It didn't matter. The point was, I lived almost two miles away from school.

Passing by an empty truck two minutes later, a shadow detached itself from the front and began following me. A few steps later, I noticed the noise. I looked behind me, and saw a large man following me. I started to walk faster. _Okay, definitely catching a ride home tomorrow_, I thought.

Almost imperceptibly, I heard him growl. "Hey girlie. What's a sweet thing like you doing out here at night all alone?" He jumped in front of me. I jerked back, feigning to be startled and afraid. He leaned in close, leering at me, and asked again, "What's a sweet girlie like you doing here all alone?" I gagged (the guy was drunk), and I didn't answer, just slammed the heel of my palm upwards into his nose and took off running. The one thing my mother had ever insisted upon for me was martial arts classes. Judo, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Karate, Aikido, Kung-fu, it didn't matter—I had taken them all at some point or another.

I heard the man cry out in pain, and ran faster. _He won't be far behind me_, I thought. Spying an alleyway up ahead, I veered around the corner to find that it was a dead end. _Great, Diana. Just great. Haven't you seen enough horror movies? _Never_ go down a dark alley! _Looking for a quick way out, I saw a door behind me. Why was it there? I don't know, the author stuck it there because otherwise I'd be mugged and/or killed, and we can't have that, now can we? I just prayed that it wasn't locked, and reached for the handle right when the thug rounded the corner. Yanking open the door, at first I didn't see anything. I whirled around and shut the door, searching for a lock. There wasn't one. _Perfect._ I took a quick look at my surroundings…or rather, my closet. There wasn't much room, and I could hear the guy's ragged breathing over the rainfall. He was getting closer.

It was then that I spotted it. Floating just a few inches off the ground, it was the strangest thing I'd ever seen. I walked around it, now oblivious to everything else. It was a circle, more than anything else. A glowing circle, about half an inch in width, with a fairly large diameter. I stuck an arm through it, but it didn't come out the other side. Forgetting my danger, I wondered aloud what would happen if I jumped all the way in.

A banging on the door snapped me back to reality as the drunken guy walked in, surprisingly steady on his feet. He saw me, and lurched forwards, grinning hellishly. I shot him a quick glance, then tried to calm myself (to no avail) and reasoned, _Whatever's through there has to be better than this. _With a second glance backwards, I gave my life up to Chance and jumped through the gate as everything went black.

**A/N: And that's where I gotta stop. Don't worry, next chappie she'll go to Luster and all that good stuff, but I've learned the first chapters aren't as good if they're long. So click the little Review button in the corner, and let me know what you thought!**


	2. Monquirrels

**A/N: Well, I'm writing a new chappie even though no one reviewed the first. I have yet to decide if that was because the Unicorn Chronicles aren't that popular, or if my story isn't exactly as wonderful as could be. It doesn't matter. This chapter is the product of a sugar high at midnight, just thought I should forewarn you. So, if anyone is bothering to read this, enjoy!**

**Chapter Two: Monquirrels**

As I came to, I felt a sharp jabbing in my side and a weight on my chest. I opened my eyes slowly and found another pair gazing intently at me. Shrieking, I scooted backwards, in the process tumbling whatever the thing was off me. It sat up and made some annoyed chittering noises at me. At least, it _sounded_ annoyed. It was about a foot high, and looked like a cross between a monkey and a squirrel, with thick fur that grew in two shades of grey, dark on its head and back, lighter on its face, limbs, and stomach. Its blue eyes were lively, and regarded me with an almost humanlike interest. To complete the oddity, it had a bushy tail. All in all, I had no clue what the hell it was.

With an effort, I dragged my attention away from the…thing, and tried to figure out what had been digging into my ribcage. I spied a sharp rock next to me, and, wincing, I lifted the hem of my shirt a bit to reveal an angry-looking scratch. Wonderful. Trying to ignore the pain, I stumbled to my feet and inspected my surroundings, all the while being watched by the…animal? Creature? Monquirrel? I have no idea what a monquirrel is, but considering that I had no idea what the creature was either, and it really _did _look like a cross between a monkey and a squirrel, it seemed the best term for now. **(A/N: See the effects of the sugar high?)**

So, meanwhile, I was inspecting my surroundings. It wasn't much different from home, except that the air seemed cleaner, and the trees had silver bark on them.

_Wait a minute, silver bark? Where _am_ I?_

I was definitely getting freaked out. _Maybe I'm delirious_, I thought. _Or just dreaming…that would make sense, wouldn't it?_

The pain in my side reminded me; wherever I was, it most certainly was _not _a dream. Preoccupied by trying to figure out what the hell was going on, I didn't notice that someone—something—had entered the clearing. I turned around, and fell hard onto my backside. Gazing at me with amusement in its eyes was a creature that had the capability to bring to life my wildest imaginings: The Unicorn.

Now, I probably should explain something about myself. Before all this happened, I was in drama class and I believe I mentioned that I hated the story we were acting out. Remember, the one about the Unicorn? Anyways, I hate it because it seems so _fake._ I mean, if the unicorns are supposed to be so wise and that, why would they immediately go to some random maiden in the woods and fall asleep in their lap? Honestly! If unicorns do exist, I would think they'd be wild, free, boundless, and all that, certainly not creatures to be tamed by virginity. But in turn, I had never believed in unicorns. Sure, I went through the stage when I liked fantasy, but I never truly believed in it. But all my thoughts had been shattered upon sighting the beautiful, fantastical creature.

He looked at me.

I looked at him.

Wow, I'm really doing great, aren't I?

While I tried to get over my initial shock, he came closer and bent his horn, pointing it towards my heart. I muffled a shriek and started to back away, but something in his eyes stopped me. I don't know what it was, but something made me want to trust him. Standing still, I allowed his approach. In spite of my best efforts, however, I still trembled as he grew closer to piercing my skin. There was a brief flash of pain, then he backed away and laid his horn onto my shoulder.

_I apologize for frightening you. This is the only—_

He was interrupted by a crashing sound nearby. The unicorn wheeled and plunged into the forest, leaving me alone in the clearing once again. Well, except for the Monquirrel, who, upon turning around, I realized had left as well. So I was completely alone. Again. Great fun.


	3. The Path to Autumngrove

**A/N: Yay! I got reviews! More fun. Sorry if Finder is a little OOC in this chapter, but we didn't exactly get to know him too well in the book. Oh, and I probably should have said this before; this is not a self-insertion fic. I received a question about that. So, though Diana is based loosely on my own personality, she is not me. Anyways, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: If I did say I owned the books, would I get sued or something? Well, let's not find out…**

**Chapter Three: The Path to Autumngrove**

I sighed and looked around yet again. Following the unicorn's disappearance, the crashing noises had stopped and it was now eerily silent. Not even any birds, though who's to say they even _had _birds here? With nothing better to do, I started walking, wincing as I irritated the deep scratch on my side. I soon found a path, which helped to improve my spirits a bit. So I continued on my way.

I walked.

And walked.

And walked some more.

Unconsciously, I began to quietly sing a familiar tune, although I could never remember where I had heard it before. I always conjured up a picture of my mother when it was running through my head, so I'm guessing she taught it to me. I didn't know the words though, which irked me to no end. I kept singing, until the sound of my own voice reminded me that there may be unfriendly creatures nearby, like whatever had called the unicorn away.

Speaking of the unicorn, where was he? You'd think that when something stabs you in the heart, then starts speaking telepathically to you, it would stick around.

Pondering the nature of something that would do that, I practically ran into the object of my thoughts. The sight of cloven hooves on the path I was walking stopped me in my tracks so suddenly that I nearly fell over a second time. I looked up, and again found myself gazing into another pair of eyes that regarded me with amusement. He laid his horn on my shoulder, and I once more heard his voice inside my head.

_I am deeply sorry for leaving you. There was an incident that had to be dealt with immediately, but it has been taken care of. Welcome to Luster. My name is Finder…and yours?_

His words didn't come across exactly as words, per say. They were more like thoughts and feelings, which took some time to sort out. I finally got the gist of what he was asking, and responded, "I'm Diana. Where am I? What's Luster? Do you know—"

_Please, not aloud!_ He interrupted me quietly. _It's much harder to understand if you speak. Simply form the thought and send it to me._

This message took a while to translate. I was beginning to get the hang of it, however. I tried forming the thought so he could understand. _My name is Diana. Do you know where we are?_

_Luster_, he said, as if that was all the answer I required.

_But where? How did I get here?_ I asked again, more insistently this time.

_I believe you came through one of the seven gates._

Seven gates? What? Suddenly, it clicked. _Oh, that was the floating circle thingie? A gate?_

_Yes._

Well, he certainly wasn't the chatty type. _Do you know how I can get home, then?_

_Unfortunately, no. That particular gate has been fluctuating, so we are not exactly sure where it will leave you if you tried to go back, and it has disappeared for now._

_We? There's more of you?_

He whickered, and his thoughts were flavored with amusement again. _You have stumbled into the Land of the Unicorns, Diana._

IIIIIIII

Luster, a.k.a. the Land of the Unicorns. Now why hadn't I thought of that? I glanced reproachfully at the unicorn walking beside me, as if he should have the answer. Realizing how fruitless this was, I sighed and resumed my pace. After healing my wound, Finder had said that we must go to Autumngrove to speak with the unicorn queen, Arabella Skydancer. About my situation, no doubt, though Finder hadn't spoken a word to me as to what was going to happen when we arrived there. He really wasn't one for talking, as I was slowly realizing.

I yelped as my long hair got caught on a tree branch. _Stupid_, I thought. _Now he's going to think you're a pampered little child who's never had to rough it before_. To my surprise, Finder made no comment after helping me untangle my hair from the grasping branch. Laying my hand on his shoulder, I asked, _How much farther is it now?_

_Still several miles. We should reach Autumngrove by tomorrow afternoon; you're lucky to have landed so close, he answered me._

_To Autumngrove? Or to you?_

There was a long pause before he answered again. _Both, I suppose._

I was taken aback by his serious tone. Surely he knew I had been joking…Exactly what had been in the forest that he had run off to "deal with"? Unfortunately, my hand still rested on his shoulder, and I had mistakenly directed that thought to him.

_Delvers_. Again, as if that explained everything. He seemed to have a habit of doing that.

_And what exactly are delvers?_

_Oh, small creatures, about three feet tall, with large heads and even larger eyes. They are thin, but strong, with little hair and a turned-up nose._

_Sound like delightful creatures._

_We have been at war with them for many long years now._

_What started it?_ I asked in surprise. _Unicorns war with other creatures?_

_In answer to the second, yes. Unfortunately, my brethren have yet to realize how pointless it is. And to the first, no one remembers. I suppose Grimwold has it recorded, but no one cares anymore._

_Grimwold?_

_The keeper of the Unicorn Chronicles. He records all that happens in Luster for the Queen._

_All?_

_Yes. He is kept quite busy._

_I can imagine!_

Finder wheeled sharply to face me. My hand lost contact with him, so he laid his horn upon my shoulder, and asked, Can _you? Few humans have imaginations nowadays…_ He then shook his mane as if trying to get rid of an unpleasant thought, and turned to begin walking again. I followed him, thinking. First unicorns and Monquirells, now delvers, Grimwold, and people without imaginations. The future looked exciting—certainly better than our drama production, or anything else that I had at home. Drawing a deep breath, I darted past Finder on the path, and, reaching my hand out for a fleeting moment, thought to him, _Come on! We want to reach Autumngrove by tomorrow, don't we?_

He looked at me in surprise, then whickered and cantered up to meet me_. Indeed we do, Diana. Indeed we do…_


	4. Audience with the Queen

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! They make me want to update faster (hint hint). And to those of you who have read **A Glory of Unicorns**, this takes place before Night Eyes becomes the Guardian of Memory. Again, I apologize if any of the characters are OOC, and as always, if you have any ideas or questions, let me know! Now go read!**

**Chapter Four: Audience with the Queen**

_The Queen will see you now, Diana._

I scrambled to my feet as the unicorn called Cloudmane started to walk away. Following her, I let my mind wander, reviewing the events of the past few days. Finder and I had arrived in Autumngrove at twilight two days ago, and a messenger had immediately been sent to the Queen's Court, while I was given into Cloudmane's care. Finder had to go off on an "errand". I was not told where he was going, or even when he would be back, but Cloudmane was company enough. Outgoing and energetic, we had taken an instant liking to each other, and she had introduced me to some of the nicer unicorns, including her beloved Night Eyes. It was with them that I now walked, anxiously awaiting my meeting with the Queen.

We came to a circle of trees that reminded me of weeping willows, save that they had a bluish tint to them. Cloudmane and Night Eyes led the way through an arched opening in the wall of branches. In the center of the trees shimmered a pool of crystal clear water. A scattering of leaves, silver-blue and shaped like the blades of spears, floated on its surface.

I was greeted by a high-pitched chittering, and I felt something land on my head. Reaching a hand up, I discovered a furry body that immediately jumped onto my shoulder. I twisted my neck and saw that the Monquirrel had returned. He leapt to a treetop, chittered some more, and then was gone.

I received a nudge from Cloudmane, and stepped forward to greet the Queen, Arabella Skydancer. She held herself with an almost ancient dignity that I found intriguing. _But, _I reasoned, _she _is_ a queen, albeit one of the unicorns. _I made a sort of curtsy, not quite sure what to do. In any case, I wouldn't have been able to say anything, seeing as though I was not touching her.

_Come here, child._

Or so I thought. It appeared I didn't need to be touching this unicorn. Doing as she asked, I stepped forward and laid my hand upon her shoulder.

_You've created quite a stir, Diana. It has been long since a human wandered into our midst._

I said nothing, a little confused. Did she want me to apologize?

She laughed. _Come now, child. I am not displeased. Quite the contrary, in fact. Things have been dull around here._

I still said nothing, now more than just a little confused. I thought—I _assumed_—that I was going to be sent back home, but here she was, acting as if I was expected to stay.

_But, onto more important things._ Now she focused her eyes on me intently. _Not every human who finds his or her way into Luster is allowed to stay. _

I almost breathed a sigh of relief. I was going home!

_However, that may not be the case now._

…As my hopes are dashed.

_The gate you fell through is closed, and we have no way of opening it again._

I finally asked, _Yes, Finder said that. What exactly do you mean, it is "closed"?_

The Queen paused, as if the subject was painful. _Seven gates link Luster to Earth. Stepping through any of them will carry you from one world to another. I have kept them open, in the hopes that we may one day be allowed to return to Earth. Many in my court speak against this, feeling that it is past time to sever our last connections with the planet. My heart speaks against this, however it may not be my decision in the end._

_What do you mean? _I asked, now incredibly curious.

_The ancient magic that formed the gates seems to be fading. Thus, the fact that the gate you came through is unguarded. We have no way of tracking it, and it fluctuates randomly, jumping from place to place and closing from time to time._

_So I have no way of getting back home? _I asked, dejected.

_Which brings up my second point. Finder is…well, you could say he is an "explorer," for lack of a better term. He travels Luster, keeping old connections alive and crossing the unfinished— _She broke off in midsentence, as if she had said something she didn't mean to. _Anyways, I have decided you may travel with him for a time, in hopes that you two can find a way for you to return home. At the very least, you can travel to one of the other gates, though they are all an incredible distance from here._

_So I _can_ return home._

_Someday, yes._

I sat in silence for a moment, letting it sink in. _Oh well, it's not like there was much for me at home, either, _I said bitterly to myself. _On the other hand, what could be better than exploring a new world with a unicorn? _But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I was still homesick. After all, who would be the Narrator in our school play if not me?

Collecting myself, I thanked the Queen for her time.

_A pleasure, my child. Cloudmane will take you back to your own shelter now._

I stood up, noticing as I did so that the sun had already set, and turned to leave the clearing when I caught a glimpse of white beyond the trees. It was gone as quickly as it came, however, and I walked out of the clearing thinking. Why would a unicorn bother to hide itself?

I spotted Cloudmane coming towards me, and decided against mentioning it to her. She greeted me, as always, with a smile. _How did it go?_

_I'm staying, _I told her_. At least for the time being._

_Are you upset?_

_A little. Can we go back to the shelter now? I'm tired, _I said.

_Of course, _she replied. Sensing I didn't want to talk about it, she wisely kept quiet until we returned to where I was to sleep. Although we had called it a "shelter," it was really nothing more that a protected clearing. Buildings were not allowed in Autumngrove.

I bade her goodnight, and lay under the stars, thinking._ Where could you be, dad? Mom? Are you home? Working late? Have you even _realized_ I'm gone yet?_ Though that may seem a little harsh, it was true. My parents and I saw each other maybe every other day, at best? We would sometimes pass in the morning, but that was rare. Banishing my unpleasant thoughts with the ease of long practice, I rolled over and closed my eyes. Sleep did not come that night, however. Something else did.


	5. Mystic Ruby and a New Beginning

**Chapter Five: Mystic Ruby and a New Beginning**

I jerked awake. A rustle in the woods…there it was again! Jolted out of my half-sleep, I stood up cautiously, trying to pinpoint the exact location—or at least the general direction—from where it had come. I heard it again, and glanced around in surprise. It seemed to come from above me, but…

A chittering in my left ear brought me back to reality. I whirled around, and was brought face-to-face with the Monquirrel, who was hanging upside-down from a low tree branch and looking quite happy with himself. "And what are _you_ doing back here, hm?" I asked it. "Are you following me?"

He leapt (how he managed it I have no idea—he _was _upside-down) onto my shoulder, then proceeded to tangle himself in my hair, shrieking when he couldn't get out. "You silly thing!" I scolded him, trying to stifle my laughter. "Hold still!" I grabbed him with my right hand and untangled him with my left, ripping out several chunks of hair in the process.

"There!" I said when he was finally free, looking him in the eye. "Now don't do that again!" He looked past me and chittered, bounding off my hand into the night. I turned around, and saw my first companion step from the trees.

"Finder!" I exclaimed in shock.

His coat was matted with blood, his mane a tangled mess. He walked towards me haltingly, as if he had hurt his leg. _Diana,_ he greeted me, once he was close enough to lay his horn on my shoulder. _It is good to see you._

_What happened?_ I asked in concern. _You're hurt._

_I was attacked on my return journey. It's not serious, I just need to rest._

_Return journey from where?_

_Here. _He lowered his horn, and I felt something small and cold land in my outstretched hand. Peering closely at it, I discovered that it was an intricately carved silver ring, with a rather large red gemstone set in it.

_Thank you, this is beautiful! But…what is it for?_

_It is my carbuncle._

I stared at him—and his horn--in shock. _Why did you have it set in a ring? I thought they were the source of your horn's powers…_

_No, _he said with a laugh. _It…well, its purposes are difficult to explain. Did you not notice that very few unicorns are born with them? It is a rarity, nothing more. However, when you wear this ring, we can communicate without touching._

I thought back, and saw that he was right—I had noticed very few unicorns with the gemstone. I slipped the ring on and walked a few feet away. _So this works all the time?_

_Correct. I'm not sure if there is a limit on how far apart we can be, but I suppose we'll find out, won't we?_

_Whomever did you go to that could do this?_

_M'Gama. As the Geomancer, she knows much of nature. I was hoping she could help._

_The Geomancer?_

_Yes._

_I have much to learn, _I said ruefully. _But according to the Queen, I'll have plenty of time. Were you spoken to about that?_

_No, but I heard._

You _were the unicorn I spotted!_

_You saw me? _He sounded surprised. _You notice things. I was doing my best _not _to be seen…we shall have fun together, Diana. _Just then, his legs buckled, and he sank down into the grass.

_I'm all right, truly, _he said when I hurriedly knelt beside him in concern. _I'll be fine after I rest._

_What happened, Finder? _I asked.

_There are some who dislike intrusion. I mistakenly wandered into a gryphon's territory, and suffice it to say he was not exactly pleased. _With that last thought, he slept.

I sat back, thinking. _Gryphons? Ones who would attack a unicorn? Man, what have I gotten myself into?_

IIIIIIII

_Diana…Diana, wake up!_

I jerked awake…again…and found Finder standing over me. "I'm up, I'm up," I said, forgetting to tell him in thoughts. "What's the rush?"

_We must leave soon. I have dawdled too long as it is, _he told me. I detected a note of urgency in his voice.

Placing my hand on his shoulder, I was startled to find that he was quivering. _All right, I'm coming, _I said. _What's wrong?_

_Nothing, I am just anxious to leave._

_Why?_

_I dislike spending too much time in one place, unless there is a good reason._

_There _is _a good reason…my sleep._

_I apologize. It has been long since I've met a human, I forget that you need more sleep than us, _he said contritely.

I laughed. _It's okay, I think I'm ready now. Where are we going?_

_Someplace new._

**"Rarer still than true Unicorns' horn is the mystic ruby, also called a carbuncle, rumored to be found at the horn's base. Some authorities have held the jewel to be the source of the horn's powers. However, as it has not been found consistently in all unicorns, it is possible that the 'ruby' is some kind of distillation of the concentrated essence of the horn. It may, perhaps, occur in only wise unicorns and be caused by a crystallization of blood. Albertus Magnus…believed the 'male carbuncle' to be the king of gems, able to dispel poison, guard from plague and banish sadness, evil thoughts, and nightmares…a good stone would shine so brightly of its own accord as to be visible through clothing."  
****From Nigel Suckling's The Book of the Unicorn**

**A/N: I adapted the legend of the carbuncle to suit my purposes in the story; the above is merely a reference for those of you who had no idea what a carbuncle was. Getting off-topic a little, I would highly recommend The Book of the Unicorn to anyone who is interested in learning about unicorns. Back to the story: I know I spend too much time in conversations; hopefully that will change as the story progresses. So thanks for reading, now go review!**


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